Tomb of the
Two Manicurists – Initially dubbed the “Tomb of the Two Brothers,”
this burial place was discovered (and partly reassembled) in 1964 at Saqqara,
near Memphis.65 This tomb shows the two men who were
buried there holding hands and embracing intimately, noses touching.66
Inscriptions reveal that both men held the title of Royal Manicurist and Chief
of Palace Manicurists; and the tomb dates from the reign of Niuserre (2453-2422
B.C.), in the 3rd Dynasty in the latter half of the Old Kingdom. The two men,
Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep, ingenuously
had their names decoratively intertwined above the entrance to the inner chambers
as “Niankh-Khnum-Hotep,”, which may be translated “joined
in life and joined in death [or ‘peace’].” Both men are
identified as hm (with the sense of “priest”
here), and another inscription authorizes other priests (hm) to carry
out their duties, while forbidding the men’s families from hindering
them. The Egyptian hm derives from the common hieroglyph
for “female,” but drops the feminine ending. This pictograph was
used in a variety of senses, including “coward,” more generally
“eunuch” (more in the sense of one being born a male biologically
but having changed one’s gender, than being castrated), and commonly
“priest” in tomb inscriptions. How these males were changed into
hm is not clear, although such androgynous servants have often played
a role in cultic rituals related to death and burial. Both men, as palace
officials, enjoyed a high social status; and they also were counted as members
of a large favored circle of priests, who performed a significant religious
role.67 Since the inscriptions note that both men were
married and had children, they were not eunuchs.

Various explanations
have been offered for the relationship between Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep
– that they were brothers, twins, related by marriage, close relatives,
business associates, or members of the same guild – yet, as William
Naphy notes (2004), the unique nature of the iconography (images and symbols)
here and their closeness (especially their embracing) point to a more strong
emotional bond. Also, both of them being called hm (a gender-ambiguous
term) would be more in keeping with a homoerotic bond than any of the other
relationships suggested.68 Egyptian art rarely depicted
figures embracing, and scenes of two men doing so are virtually unknown. If
these men were lovers, it would demonstrate that homosexual love did express
itself on some occasions in ancient Egypt and also found some acceptance.69
In the outer part of the tomb, the two men are seen seated together, arm in
arm, greeting offering-bearers and visitors to their burial place, and also
walking, hand in hand, touring and inspecting their tomb. In the inner part
is displayed a banquet scene, where the two men are entertained by dancers
and musicians. Also here are three scenes of the two men embracing: one rests
his arm around the other’s shoulder, while the second grasps the first
man’s arm. In two of the scenes, the figures stand so close together
their noses touch and even their thighs, seemingly, as well – just how
the two men evidently wished to embrace each other throughout eternity. (See
the Reeder website link, at end of article.)

Conclusion
– As Dominic Montserrat notes, most references from Egypt of the Pharaohs
view homosexual acts as morally negative (non-reproductive), socially dangerous
(like adultery), or physically violent (about conquest). Yet, evidence (although
limited) does suggest that same-sex acts took place between partners of a
comparable age and social status. Also, the negative references display an
equivocality (ambiguity) that may argue against there being a single, monolithic
‘attitude’ toward it which prevailed.70
R.B. Parkinson notes a distinction between commemorative and religious texts,
and fictional and autobiographical texts – the first category (including
the Book of the Dead and the Teachings of Ptahhotep) always being a kind of
“official” discourse, while the second category (including the
stories of Horus and Seth, and of Neferkari and Sisene) allowed for a “freer
discussion of problematic events.”71

Pictorial evidence
exists, as well, but is often very tricky to “read,” as we have
seen with the Berlin stele of “two kings.” The Turin Papyrus contains
a drawing of a boy sodomizing another short-haired boy (although some insist
he is a girl).72 Scratched on an ostraka (broken pottery
piece) in the Berlin Museum is a boy gently fondling the genitals of another
boy (although this is usually called ‘a wrestling match’).73
Yet, the Tomb of the Two Manicurists provides a remarkable testimony to the
devotion that these two men had for each other, a deep, abiding love with
a physical (homoerotic) side to it.

Parkinson notes
that certainly “same-gender sexual acts, such as sodomy, took place
in ancient Egypt” – and some individuals, then as now, probably
had a greater tendency to this desire and these acts than others.74
However, for a man to abandon his “proper gender role” and allow
himself to be sodomized was looked upon as a sign of weakness and disgrace,
and the act of penetration was generally looked upon as one of power and conquest.
We do not find “initiatory pederasty” (e.g. as in Greece), but
still same-sex relationships between two adult men were conceivable and occurred
in ancient Egypt. Yet, one can be sure that daily life was even less “schematic”
(planned) than literature, and surely presented many “untidy facts”
(to use Bruce Smith’s phrase). “[Homosexual] acts and desires
occurred [in ancient Egypt], despite the official ideology, and “more
frequently than the texts offer any means of assessing.”75

Vern Bullough
notes that the mark of shame heaped upon the passive same-sex partner can
also be seen in the statement made about Shu and Tefnet, two other gods, that
“their abomination is for the hand of god to fall on them, and
for the shade of the god to abuse them sexually. His seed shall not enter
into them.” A coffin text also states, “Re has
no power over me, for I am he who takes away his breath. Atum has no power
over me, for I copulate between his buttocks.” This suggests
that Re and Atum could be rendered powerless by being made the submissive
partner in anal intercourse. Yet, “although anal intercourse was known
and practiced by the ancient Egyptians, when it took place between two men,
it was not viewed with great public favor, if a man and a young boy were involved,
it was more strongly condemned. … As to sex life, the need for producing
children was stressed, and this accomplished, other sexual activities were
allowed, provided they did not take advantage of others. All sexual activities,
from bestiality to anal intercourse to oral-genital contacts are portrayed
in the various tomb pictures, and though the Egyptians might has disapproved
some activities more than others, their society seemed to be fairly permissive
sexually.”76

So, what light
might all of this shine on the Jonathan and David story? First, although there
was a negative official view of homosexuality in ancient Egypt, still there
were persons with dominant homoerotic desires who found ways to satisfy them,
as with Pharaoh Neferkari and the general, and the two royal manicurists.
Second, there were those rare occasions when a description of such relationships
made it into the historical record; at the same time, there must have been
many other examples of same-sex love which went unnoticed and unrecorded.
Third, the examples of same-sex love that we do know about occurred among
kings or members of the court, whose lives would tend to be recorded and whose
power might also shield them from retribution. It should not come as any surprise,
then, that a homoerotic story crops up in the historical record of the royal
life of Israel, where it is recorded by a sympathetic but cautious scribe.
On the other hand, ancient Egypt records point to various negative forms of
homosexuality (forced anal intercourse and sex in religious places and with
sacred personnel), which will also resonate with what we find in the Hebrew
Scriptures.

See http://www.heptune.com/Akhnaten.html
then click on “The Art of the Amarna Period” and look for the
“Kissing Akhenaten” statuette (10th picture down) and the “Two
Pharaohs” Berlin stele (13th picture down). This site was set up by
Megaera Lorenz (2000).